Crystal Caverns

After only a day working on the raider’s gear the rest of… my party? RRRoshin’s group? Kniana and the followers? Whatever. My party came back from their druid expedition. They wanted me to join them in another travel out to somewhere. I told them I still had a half day to finish this project. Reluctantly, they agreed. Always in such a rush. The most notable thing isthat Skrel looks significantly different… I knew he used some dressing magics, but I never bothered to look any closer. He only partially looks ratkin now… Jet black eyes, hands end in claws, not really even a finger and lots of lost hair… He said that, “ I have grown tired of lying”. Apparently he is fire and lightning proof. Hmmm we’d have to talk later… It’s disturbing but he hasn’t tried to kill them, or me yet…
Kniana also brought me a dagger to look at that they musta acquired out at the druid’s. It had High Elven script and several magics worked into the blade. High Elven blades are rare, only ever seen a few since most were destroyed. The blade itself was incredibly sharp! So much so that it actually cut through a sheath that Kniana tried to put it into. I figured out that the blade was a +1 distracting weapon with some kind of unique modification to it. Some odd ability with being able to interrupt mages. Skrel suggested that she get a metal sheath for it and something about Barrelchest is mentally speaking with him? The minotaur pulled out a dagger with a metal sheath and placed the dagger it held on the table. The dagger he pulled had a crystal in the handle and a translucent-ish blade. Curious blade, it didn’t even harm the table when he stabbed it a bit later. My guess is some kind of ghost touch or incorporeal enchantment. Anyway, as Kniana sheathed the elven dagger it seemed to pierce some sort of viel, there was something magical about the sheath but it didn’t seem to function as intended. It was something with the dagger interfering with it. Barrelchest took back the sheath for a second to show us it’s intended properties. When some other dagger was inserted and the sheath was work it would disappear from sight. Kniana thanked him especially after he refused pay, well as much as a mute minotaur could.
Skrel made mention of the next destination they wanted me to join with. Something about a crystal and a dragon or fucked up guy or something? I say my bit about the raiding party to bring back more supplies as a self feeding loop. They took some convincing, but the bent to my will for letting me finish. They must really need me for this task. As I was getting back to work Lily screamed and shot outta the forge. I guess cats are cats…(minotaur had an extra shadow with eyes staring her down while she was trying to play with his dagger.)
 
I finish my project just in time for dinner for the camp. I ended up finding the group back at our little area in the camp. Eval said that there is a giant crystal guarded by a not-dragon according to Zaltharian. [cloud dragon fallen in camp] They need me to appraise and move a boulder sized crystal. It would function as a focus instead of the Lad of Nine or the Topaz necklace. I agreed to help, but I would need to know of what they wanted for help with the way my trinkets work. I really agreed to go because if it is truly a crystal cavern, it would have magical resources for me to gather. It might be a magically unstable area but the light they would shine would really help if I could convince them to help me gather material manually. They also wanted to have me haul the crystal in my cart as well. Apparently I’m the group’s hord hauler now. I get that I’m the only one with real storage, but come on. Whatever though, should they perish I would have first crack at any unclaimed supplies.
I asked if any of them are good with animals as I would like to be a bit more prepared for being outside the encampment. I end up having to explain it a bit more to them with the way I need time. Eval explains that we’d have hirelings going with us. He also warned us about the Deep Lords that would be coming with us. I didn’t really see the need for the warnings and told the group about my encounter with the one that came to see me. I have no particular quarrel with this group, I suggest requesting a bit of blood shown as a precaution. They were thankful to be allowed to join us and were going to break away after some point. Eval continued by saying that everyone would be ready in the morning.
At that I took Kniana to get more acquainted with Bessy. She seemed to take it fine. As much as I’m glad that our contact made Bessy easier on her, I am worried that if one should threaten us Bessy wouldn’t be as protective… After that meet n greet I went to get a nap in before I had to get my trinkets ready overnight.
 
Eval knocked in the morning and said that everyone’s gathered. I looked over to see some Deep Lords messin with my beetle! I yelled at them in draconic to leave her be. The nerve to scritch Bessy like that. Only I know her favorite scratching spots! I scritched her like only I knew how after that. After we all gathered in the circle I offered my dagger up and requested everyone draw a bit of blood as a trust exercise. Everyone participated even though a wood elf threw a bit of a fit. After that I showed Kniana all the little things including the quick release for Bessy and headed back into my cart to keep working. I ended up working a few more support-ish spells into some of my existing items and swapped out the one on my cave whistle.
We arrived out at the cave about noon. The Lords all set to thickening the foliage around the area to put together a makeshift barrier/camouflage. There were crystals all around the entrance of the mine. They were low quality but were channeling high and strong amount of winds. It would take too much effort to move these larger ones. The winds in the area was extremely potent and just as unstable. I put the late Cprl.’s gloves on my belt should I need them. I didn’t like the sense I was getting from here.
Eval asked me about what happens if a crystal were to break. I give a general explanation of a magical mega bomb if you hit one just wrong. He also said that Lily had found a crystal elemental, something unheard of to me. Makes me wonder what kind of properties one of them would have. I wonder if they could control a growth or shaping of crystals… Eval also said that there were kobold footprints. He called the kobolds without culture, wild ones. I called them godless. It was the only explanation I had for them being wild. Even the wilderness had a god for the wild to follow.
We ended up following the tracks leading up till a cave in covered the path. We continued down a separate split that led down. I was casting Mage Hand and wiggling crystals every chance I got to see if any loose ones were still available. The scary thing is that the deeper into the cave we went, the more the surrounding crystals would light up when I cast. Kniana led us on with Dancing Lights, downhill deeper into the cave. There was even a wet path where water was running. We all started to get nervous about casing spells amongst the crystals. I’ve never had a mishap with such low level spells but I’ve also never been in the vicinity of raw crystals of this size…
Skrel even said that some of his cantrips don’t come from the material plain?? We will be talking later and he agreed. I stared to physically wiggle some crystals instead of using my Mage Hand and managed to pull one weighing about seven pounds into my Haversack.
At this point we reached a large cavernous room with large crystals everywhere. I think of what Eval said about kobolds, so I try to piece out where my kin would have put traps. They likely would have been on the floor around the edge of the room and I warn the others of such.
After that we saw a beam of light and heard in a raspy draconic “the food fights, the food fights”. There was fighting in the distance and everyone goes all stealthy stealthy. I tried, but the allure of the crystals got the better of me. I kept trying to shift them as I walked by. I ended up behind Kniana as I have seen a bit of what she could do. One of the kobolds saw us. It was wearing what I would call uncivilized tribal gear wielding the worst javelin I’ve ever seen. I think I could pull a branch off of a tree and it would have been better. It ended up squawking at us, so I squawked back hoping I could open a dialogue. I yell at it,”not food”. To which it replied, “best food, meaty food” and wiffed a javelin so badly I was offended.